Trump Administration Releases Files on Martin Luther King Jr.'S Assassination
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who announced the move, said the files include 'discussion of potential leads, internal FBI memos detailing the progress of the case, information about James Earl Ray's former cellmate who stated he discussed with Ray an alleged assassination plot, and more.' She said the files released Monday had not previously been digitized and were shared with minimal redactions.
King's son Martin Luther King III and daughter Bernice A. King wrote in a statement that they 'object to any attacks on our father's legacy or attempts to weaponize it to spread falsehoods' and warned against people sharing FBI surveillance of their father in the files.
'We strongly condemn any attempts to misuse these documents in ways intended to undermine our father's legacy and the significant achievements of the movement,' they wrote. 'Those who promote the fruit of the FBI's surveillance will unknowingly align themselves with an ongoing campaign to degrade our father and the Civil Rights Movement.'
The King children said that the files 'must be viewed within their full historical context,' that their father 'was relentlessly targeted by an invasive, predatory, and deeply disturbing disinformation and surveillance campaign orchestrated by' then-FBI director J. Edgar Hoover.
The release of the King documents on Monday comes as Democrats and some members of Trump's base have demanded the release of a different trove of records, those related to the sex trafficking investigation of Jeffrey Epstein. Trump on Thursday told the Justice Department to seek the release of 'all pertinent' grand jury testimony, following the administration's announcement earlier this month that it would not release the files from the case. On Monday, Bernice A. King said on X: 'Now, do the Epstein files.'
King's niece Alveda King appeared to take a different view from King's son and daughter, saying in a statement that 'the declassification and release of these documents are a historic step towards the truth.'
Ray was convicted of the assassination of King after fleeing the country and being captured abroad, and Gabbard said the documents include CIA records outlining 'overseas intelligence on the international hunt for the prime suspect.' But the King children reaffirmed that they believe someone else was the shooter and that Ray was set up to take the fall.
'As we review these newly released files, we will assess whether they offer additional insights beyond the findings our family has already accepted,' the Kings said. They asked for people engaging with the files to 'do so with empathy, restraint, and respect for our family's continuing grief.'
Trump signed an executive order in January directing the release of the assassination records of King and President John F. Kennedy and his brother Robert F. Kennedy. Last month, a federal judge said it could be a 'long journey' toward releasing the King FBI surveillance records, and at the time, King's children and the King-founded civil rights organization the Southern Christian Leadership Conference opposed the unconditional public release of information compiled by the FBI.
In a 1977 lawsuit settlement, the government gave the National Archives tapes, transcripts, wiretap logs and other records of surveillance at King's home in Atlanta and other offices. They were to remain under seal for 50 years, until Jan. 31, 2027, according to the Justice Department filing. No surveillance-related records were immediately found in a review of the files released Monday.
Coretta King received a letter in 1964 that also contained alleged tape recordings of her husband having sex with other women, a letter that the FBI later confirmed was directed by Hoover, though the wiretaps were approved by then-Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, a Democrat. News reporters were offered the material at the time, but all refused to publish it. Later that year, King was given the Nobel Peace Prize.
'Hoover was so angry, he had hate in his heart,' Martin Luther King III told The Post in 2018. 'Certainly he hated Dad. He had a vehement hatred of folks of color.'
As a result, the King family always felt the FBI was involved in the assassination, and more recently feared the bureau or the Trump administration would release such salacious material in an attempt to sully the civil rights leader's reputation. It could not immediately be determined whether any related items were in the massive release Monday.
Numerous civil rights leaders told The Washington Post in 2018 that they did not believe Ray had killed King, and King's son Dexter King met with Ray in prison in 1997 to tell him the family believed in his innocence. Ray initially pleaded guilty, then tried to withdraw his plea days later. The move was rejected.
The late civil rights leader Rep. John Lewis (D-Georgia), former Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young and the late Rev. James Lawson, one of King's mentors, all told The Post that they did not think Ray had shot King.
'I think there was a major conspiracy to remove Doctor King from the American scene,' Lewis said in 2018. 'I don't know what happened, but the truth of what happened to Dr. King should be made available for history's sake.'
King's family hired a New York lawyer, William Pepper, who had been friendly with King since the early 1960s. Pepper filed a civil suit in Memphis on their behalf alleging a government conspiracy that also involved Loyd Jowers, who owned the bar on the first floor of the rooming house where Ray stayed. A jury in 1999 found Jowers liable in the killing.
'There is abundant evidence,' Coretta King said after the verdict, 'of a major, high-level conspiracy in the assassination of my husband.' She said the jury found the mafia and various government agencies 'were deeply involved in the assassination. … Mr. Ray was set up to take the blame.'
That led King's family to appeal to President Bill Clinton to reinvestigate the case, and then-Attorney General Janet Reno created a new probe led by assistant attorney general Barry Kowalski. Kowalski found that Jowers had changed his story repeatedly and told The Post that 'our thorough investigation, just like four official investigations before it, found no credible or reliable evidence that Doctor King was killed by conspirators who framed James Earl Ray.'
Author James Douglass, who covered the 1999 trial and has written extensively about the assassinations of King and other American leaders, said Monday he had not reviewed the files, but 'frankly, I think we knew more than enough long ago to know that the United States government killed Dr. Martin Luther King.'
No documents implicating government agents could be immediately found. Ray claimed that he had been manipulated by an unknown man whom he knew as 'Raul' to be in Memphis on April 4, 1968. But others have pointed out that Ray appeared to be stalking King in the weeks before the shooting, driving from Los Angeles to Atlanta, and he carried a map of Atlanta with the church and residence of King circled.
Ray also bought a rifle on March 30, 1968, in Alabama, then returned to Atlanta. When news reports indicated that King would be heading to Memphis to participate in another march to support the sanitation workers' strike there, Ray drove to Memphis.
The rifle and some binoculars were found in the doorway of a store near the boardinghouse where Ray stayed soon after the shooting, with Ray's fingerprints on them.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Mainichi
22 minutes ago
- The Mainichi
Business leaders laud Japan-US trade deal, admit ongoing challenges
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japanese business leaders on Wednesday praised the government for reaching a trade deal with the United States under which tariff rates on Japanese cars and other products will be set at 15 percent, while acknowledging it will still cause hardship for firms. "The persistent negotiations paid off," Yoshinobu Tsutsui, chairman of the Japanese Business Federation, the country's most powerful business lobby also known as Keidanren, told reporters, adding his group has "high regard" for the outcome. The tariffs under the deal, which was first announced by U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday, are lower than initially proposed. They were agreed before an Aug. 1 deadline set by the United States to impose a "reciprocal" 25 percent tariff on Japanese goods. "I have yet to look into the details, but would like to provide support (from Keidanren) on multiple fronts," Tsutsui said. While some companies have expressed hope that the potential adverse effects of the levies would be eased, others said challenges were likely to persist as they nevertheless remained high. "The evasion of even higher tariffs across the board may act as a crucial breakwater for companies," said Takeshi Niinami, chairman of the Japan Association of Corporate Executives. "We must work toward rebuilding a free-trade system," he added, also warning of the spread of the "America First" approach. While saying the deal helped remove U.S. tariff uncertainties, Ken Kobayashi, chairman of the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, called the 15 percent tariffs "regrettable." "The effects of this new burden of tariffs will hit not just exporter firms, but also those that shoulder the domestic supply chain and are largely made up of small and medium-sized firms that are responsible for supplying parts and logistics," he said in a statement. The Trump administration's 25 percent additional auto tariff was one of the biggest sticking points in the trade talks. Combined with the 2.5 percent rate already in place, a total tariff of 27.5 percent was imposed on imported passenger vehicles in April. Following the latest announcement, a source from a major automaker expressed dismay at the deal, noting tariffs prior to Trump's inauguration had stood at just 2.5 percent. Meanwhile, a source from an electronics manufacturer noted that "compared with the 25 percent tariff that was slated to hit on Aug. 1, 15 percent is slightly better."
NHK
22 minutes ago
- NHK
US, Philippines reach trade deal with 19% tariff on Philippine exports
The United States and the Philippines reached a trade deal after their leaders met in Washington on Tuesday. It includes major concessions by Manila. US President Donald Trump shared details of the agreement on social media. He said the Philippines will open its market to the US and impose no tariffs. Meanwhile, there will be a 19 percent tariff on Philippine exports to America. Trump also said they will work together militarily. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. told reporters he had to make concessions. These include scrapping tariffs on US automobiles and increasing imports of soy, wheat and pharmaceutical products from the country. President Marcos said they tried very hard to see what they could do. He added, "That's part of the new regime that we will be following in terms of trade with the United States." But Marcos also emphasized that he managed to confirm cooperation on security with Washington. The Philippines has been locked in a territorial dispute with Beijing in the South China Sea. "Our strongest, closest, most reliable ally has always been the United States," he said during the meeting. The US State Department later announced at least 60 million dollars in foreign assistance funding to support energy, maritime, and economic growth programs in the Philippines.
The Diplomat
3 hours ago
- The Diplomat
Trump Announces Trade Deal With Philippines, Small Reduction in Tariff Rate
The U.S. leader said that Washington would apply a 19 percent tariff on Philippine imports, while Manila has agreed to remove all of its tariffs on American goods. U.S. President Donald Trump has announced a new 19 percent tariff rate for imports from the Philippines, after a meeting with visiting President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. at the White House. Trump made the announcement in a post on his Truth Social media platform after the meeting with Marcos, calling the Philippine leader a 'very good and tough negotiator.' 'It was a beautiful visit, and we concluded our Trade Deal, whereby The Philippines is going OPEN MARKET with the United States, and ZERO Tariffs. The Philippines will pay a 19% Tariff,' Trump wrote. 'In addition, we will work together Militarily.' Marcos arrived in Washington on Sunday for a three-day trip during which he also met with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, as well as with U.S. business leaders investing in the Philippines. Speaking to reporters with Marcos, the U.S. leader announced that the two countries were 'very close to finishing a trade deal – a big trade deal, actually.' Trump's announcement comes after he claimed to have finalized similar deals with Vietnam, which negotiated a rate of 20 percent, and Indonesia, whose tariff is now set at 19 percent. (The White House yesterday released more details on the Indonesia agreement, although elements of the agreement with Vietnam have reportedly yet to be finalized.) According to an undated draft of the Philippines-U.S. Agreement on Reciprocal Trade obtained by The Diplomat, the Philippines has agreed to remove nearly all of its tariffs and non-tariff barriers on U.S. imports, including quotas and import licensing requirements, and to bolster intellectual property protections. 'These commitments,' the draft agreement states, 'are intended to enhance reciprocity between the Parties by reducing tariff and non-tariff barriers in the territory of the Philippines and increasing alignment between the United States and the Philippines on economic and national security matters.' The U.S. had a goods trade deficit of $4.9 billion with the Philippines last year, according to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. As with the two previous agreements with Indonesia and Vietnam, a higher tariff rate will apply to any goods that are deemed to have been transshipped to the U.S. via the Philippines from any third country (i.e. China). The draft agreement states that the 19 percent rate will not apply in the event that a certain percentage of a good 'originates from certain countries not party to this Agreement.' Neither the exact local content threshold nor the tariff on transshipped goods were finalized in the draft, although Trump announced that the rate for Vietnam has been set at 40 percent. (How transshipped goods are to be identified and verified, and by whom, is yet to be determined in any of these cases.) The draft agreement also contains a number of provisions relating to economics and national security. It states that the Philippines will cooperate with Washington 'to regulate the trade in national security sensitive technologies and goods through existing multilateral export control regimes, align with all unilateral export controls in force by the United States, and ensure that its companies do not backfill or undermine these controls.' The agreement also states that the Philippines 'shall adopt and effectively enforce provisions to combat transshipment and other practices to evade or circumvent duties' and that the U.S. 'shall work with the Philippines to streamline and enhance defense trade.' Most notably, the draft states that the U.S. has the right to terminate the agreement if the Philippines 'enters into a new bilateral free trade agreement or preferential economic agreement' with any 'country of concern.' In light of all of these concessions, and its status as a longstanding and 'ironclad' U.S. security ally, it is surprising that the Philippines was unable to secure a greater reduction in the tariff rate. The 19 percent tariff was marginally lower than the 20 percent threatened by Trump in a letter to Marcos earlier this month, but higher than the 17 percent announced in Trump's 'liberation day' tariff announcement in April. It is also notably worse than the 15 percent rate that Trump announced today with Japan, another U.S. ally. The response on Philippine social media has reportedly been unfavorable to Marcos, with many users calling the Philippine leader 'weak' and stating that the risks of the U.S.-Philippine alliance have not been properly counterbalanced by greater U.S. concessions. In a post on X, Renato Reyes Jr., a member of the left-wing Makabayan political coalition, described the agreement as 'a grossly lopsided 'deal' which is really more of an imposition rather than the outcome of any negotiations' and called on the Marcos administration to 'fully disclose' its terms. The national security analyst Justin Baquisal wrote on X that while it remains to be seen whether these political talking points hurt Marcos' political prospects, 'the lack of better treatment for US allies vs non-aligners (esp compared to the original Liberation Day margins) is not doing anybody favors.' 'Most Reliable Ally' Marcos is the first Southeast Asian leader to visit the White House since the beginning of Trump's second term, a reflection of the warmth of the relationship between the two allies. Speaking to reporters at the start of the meeting in the Oval Office, Marcos described the U.S. as his country's 'strongest, closest, most reliable ally,' while Trump praised the Philippine leader, describing him as coming from a 'great family' with a 'great family legacy.' (Marcos' father, Ferdinand E. Marcos, ruled the Philippines through fear and force for more than two decades, including 14 years under Martial Law.) Aside from the trade issue, security and defense were also on the agenda during the Marcos-Trump meeting. Security cooperation between the two nations has increased markedly in recent years as a result of China's growing maritime power and ambition. During Marcos' three years in office, Beijing has increased the frequency and intensity of its incursions into Philippine-claimed waters, which it claims under its expansive 'nine-dash line' claim, resulting in a string of dangerous encounters between the two nations' coast guards. Under Marcos, the Philippines has opened more of its military facilities to a rotational U.S. presence under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, and increased military exercises and joint patrols. The visit did not witness the signing of any new defense cooperation initiatives, but in their meetings with Marcos, both Hegseth and Rubio reaffirmed that the U.S. will come to the Philippines' defense under the Mutual Defense Treaty if its forces, ships and aircraft come under an armed attack, including in the South China Sea – an assurance that has been consistently made since the first Trump administration. Marcos told Hegseth that the assurance of mutual defense 'continues to be the cornerstone' of the U.S.-Philippines relationship and thanked the U.S. for support 'that we need in the face of the threats that we, our country, is facing.' Speaking alongside Trump, Marcos said that 'we are essentially concerned with the defense of our territory and the exercise of our sovereign rights,' adding, 'Our strongest, closest, most reliable ally has always been the United States.' As the AFP news agency reported, Trump 'devoted much of the appearance to attacks on his Democratic predecessors Biden and Barack Obama.' In a possibly significant aside, Trump address relations with China, saying that he would 'probably' visit the country 'in the not-too-distant future.' While taking credit for 'untilt[ing]' the Philippines away from China (the shift in Manila's policy took place under the Biden administration), he said that the Philippines was independent in its dealings with Beijing. 'Do whatever you need to do,' Trump told Marcos, the Associated Press reported. 'But your dealing with China wouldn't bother me at all.'
